The 16 US Pipeline Operators With The Most 'Incidents'

Opponents of pipeline projects like Transcanada's Keystone often point to the risks of spill and injuries.

The truth is these incidents are very rare.

However, they do occur.

We compiled data collected by the Department of Transportation since 2006 showing every "significant incident" in the country.

DOT defines "incidents" as ones that included one of the following:

1) Fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization.2) $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars.3) Highly volatile liquid releases of 5 barrels or more or other liquid releases of 50 barrels or more.4) Liquid releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion.

Not every incident is the result of human error; some are the result of corrosion or natural causes.

Nevertheless, we think these data show the true costs of running pipelines across the country.

We took operator names as they are officially registered with DOT (so as to separate out subsidiaries) and ranked them according to incidents per mile of pipeline, with a cut-off of 45 incidents (again, since 2006).